A Love Story
by mykkila09
Summary: another T/K; a short story about Tommy and Kim and how I thought they could've gotten back together...more summary inside.
1. Second Chance

**Title: **A Love Story  
**Author: **Mykkila09  
**Chapter:** 1 of 4  
**Chapter Title: **Second Chance  
**Setting: **ZEO era; after the letter but before Jason joins the team as the Gold ranger.  
**Story Summary: **Both Kim and Tommy get advice from a friend, who help them realize that they should stop living life to make others happy and should start living to make themselves. It's basically one of the ways I thought the show could've gone after that abominable and totally out of character letter.  
**Chapter Word Count: **4570

**A/N: **hey guys, this is yet another Tommy/Kim story, but I hope you guys like it. It's a short story about T/K getting back together and it's already pre-written, so updates will be quick. Each chapter is based on a song. Enjoy.

**A/N 2: **this chapter is based on the song _Second Chance _by _**Shinedown**_; this chapter is about Kim.

**Disclaimer: **Power Rangers and all its affiliates belong to Haim Saban. I am not making any money from this fic.

* * *

**_*Sometimes saying goodbye can lead to second chances*_**

She sighed as she executed a back flip off the beam to land in a perfect stance.

"That was very good Kimberly." Her coach praised her but all she felt was hollowness inside of her. Pasting a smile on her face, she turned to face him.

"Thanks coach," she said and even to her own ears, her voice sounded defeated; couldn't they tell that she wasn't the same cheerful girl that first showed up? She knew that if she looked in a mirror, her eyes would lack their usual luster, their usual brightness, and some part of her was irritated that no one noticed.

She felt like Rose in Titanic; like she was screaming at the top of her lungs and no one noticed because no one was looking up. She was tired of being in the gym and doing her routines; she was tired of doing what everyone wanted for her. She only wanted to do what she wanted, but, after so many years of sacrificing her happiness for someone else, it was hard to let go of the habit.

As she walked from the beam to where her gym bag was laying against the chairs, she reflected on everything that happened since she moved to Florida.

Being a top gymnast was something she had thought she had always wanted; all the meets, the practices, pushing herself to be better, but now looking at her childhood and life now, she realized that all she wanted was to just be a gymnast. She had picked it up because she curious about it and the first time she had flipped through the air, she had felt a freedom she had never experienced before…a freedom that had caused her to fall in love with the sport. Now though, she couldn't feel that freedom anymore; now, she had all this pressure on her, from her coach and her mom and it had slowly turned the sport from enjoyable to a chore.

With a sigh, Kim looked around the gym; she had made some good friends when she moved to Florida, friends that had stuck by her with everything she went through since she got here, but even still, she knew it changed nothing. She was losing her love for the sport and she was wondering why she was still there doing something she didn't want to do.

She stood up, grabbing her bag, before leaving the gym. She headed to the dorms which were a short ten minute walk; she got inside and took the stairs two at time before she got to her room. Pulling out her key, she unlocked the door and walked inside, dropping the keys on the coffee table and her bag by the door before collapsing on the couch. She leaned her head back to rest on the top of the couch and closed her eyes.

"Hey Bella." The voice had her opening her eyes. She lifted her head and turned and saw her closest friend and roommate, Isabel Caines.

"Hi Izzy," Kim smiled up at her; Isabel was someone she knew she could definitely count on. Izzy was five feet 6 inches, with brown skim, dark brown eyes, jet black hair and a slim body. She was beautiful, both inside and out, and was a really good friend.

"What's wrong Bella?" Izzy asked as she sat down next to her friend.

Another thing about the girl that Kim liked was that she seemed to have this uncanny ability to know when something was wrong with her or when she needed to talk as she always showed up at the right time.

"You know," Kim shook her head with a smile. "I should be the one to call you that, considering what your name is."

"True," Izzy smiled. "But it is your nickname."

And it truly was; Bella was the Italian and Spanish word for Beautiful…her nickname from Tommy.

"I know," Kim sighed as she looked down.

"Talk to me Kim," Izzy reached out to grab her hands. "Please, tell me what's wrong."

"It's just…," Kim started before she got slightly frustrated and sighed. She tugged on her hair, pulling it out of the ponytail before looking at her friend. "I should be happy…being a top gymnast, competing in the Pan Global, practicing for meets…it's what I've wanted since I was a kid."

"But you're not happy," Izzy said. "And you're not a kid anymore; your dreams have changed since then Kim."

"I know," Kim whispered as she looked down. "I know that, I really do."

"Then why are you still here?" Izzy asked. "I know you Kim; you're not happy being here anymore, not like when you first got here just over a year ago. I don't see any joy in your routines or any passion…any true passion. You have to ask yourself this Kim; who are you really staying here for? Because I know it's no longer you."

"But I can't just leave Izzy," Kim said. "I can't just bail on everything; my mom and the coach would be disappointed…they want this so much for me."

"Kimberly, listen to me," Izzy said. "You cannot spend your entire life pleasing everyone else. You have to be selfish once in a while and do something for you and you alone. Who cares what your mother or the coach wants? This is not their life, it's yours."

Seeing that her friend was still torn, Izzy continued. "You said they wanted it so much for you…tell the truth Kim, is this something you still want?"

Kim was quiet as she turned her friend's words over in her head; _'is this truly what I want? Will I really be happy if I continue doing this? No…I won't; she's right. I'm doing this because it's what my mom and my coach wants, but it's not what I want…not anymore.'_

"You're right," Kim turned to look at Izzy. "I'm not happy doing this anymore and I can't keep doing it just to keep my mom and the coach happy. It's time I start living my life for me and no one else."

"Good girl," Izzy smiled. "And the first thing you do is tell the coach that you're quitting and then, you're getting on a plane and you're going to go back to Angel Grove and you're going to get your man back."

"Wait," Kim held up her hand. "I agree with you about everything else, but I'm not sure on the Angel Grove part, especially the getting my man back part; Tommy isn't mine anymore, we're over."

"Kim," Izzy grabbed Kim's hands in hers. "You and I both know you didn't want to write that letter and if it wasn't for the pressure from your mother and the coach, you never would've written it in the first place. I see the way you look at his picture; you still love him Kim and I think you should fight for him."

"He's moved on Izzy," Kim said as she pulled her hands from her friend and moved to her feet to start pacing. "He has a girlfriend now and besides, if he had really loved me, then he would've fought for me…but he didn't; he didn't even call to get an explanation or something; he just let it go."

"I understand that you're mad and hurt he did that," Izzy said. "But Tommy is a guy and didn't you tell me that he was the most shy and considerate guy you'd ever met? I know he loves you Kim; after hearing of the things he did for you leaves no doubt in my mind about that. I'm not saying he shouldn't have at least called, but did you ever think that he didn't call because he was trying to make you happy?"

"What do you mean?" Kim turned towards her, a puzzled look on her face.

"I mean," Izzy said. "In your letter, you told Tommy you were happy; now, from what you've told me of him, he was a guy that always did everything in his power to make sure you were happy. When he got your letter, even if he wanted to question you, he wouldn't, simply because he thought that you were truly happy and if he had questioned you, then it would've hurt you and he didn't want that."

"I know," Kim sighed. "You're right; I know Tommy and that is what he would do…it's one of the reasons I love him so much. But I still can't go home and do what you said."

"And why not?" Izzy raised an eyebrow in her direction.

"Because it wouldn't be fair," Kim said. "Not to him or Kat."

"Kimberly," Izzy stood up in front of her friend. "Forgive me for this, but I don't give a fuck about Kat; I care about you. You're still in love with Tommy and if there's the slightest possibility that he still has feelings for you as well, then you should find out. Take the chance Kim, take the chance and fight for him. Show him that you made a mistake and you want to be with him again."

"I don't know if I can," Kim whispered; she was terrified of what her friend was saying because deep down, she knew that that was what she wanted as well.

"You can do this," Izzy said. "I know you can; you're strong enough." Izzy was slightly frustrated with her roommate and friend; she knew that Kim was still in love with Tommy, but she also knew that she truly was terrified of doing anything and for that, she blamed their coach and Kim's mother. They placed so many expectations on her to do well and the pressure to drop everything for gymnastics without even realizing or caring that they were destroying her.

She wanted her to be happy and she knew that for that to happen, Kim had to quit gymnastics and leave Florida; she had to go back to Angel Grove…back to Tommy.

"Ok," Izzy sighed. "Why don't you take a few days to think things over before you make a decision?"

"Alright," Kim nodded; what Izzy said made sense, she would think things over before making her decision. "I'll think about everything."

"Good," Izzy smiled. "Now that we're done with all the serious drama, let's go out."

"Izzy," Kim couldn't help the smile that came on her face; Izzy was always up for going out.

"No Kim," Izzy shook her head. "We need to go out. We just finished with a grueling practice, so it's time to wine down and what better way to do that than to go out and check out, and by that I mean flirt, with some cute guys."

"Does Luc know what you're planning?" Kim raised an eyebrow at her friend.

"Luc is my boyfriend," Izzy smiled. "Not my keeper; what Luc doesn't know, can't hurt him."

"What can't hurt Luc?" a male voice asked from the door.

The two girls looked up and saw said guy standing there.

"Luc!" Izzy cried as she rushed over to her boyfriend; she threw her arms around his neck, pulling him down for a kiss.

Kim laughed as she looked at them. "Really? I'm right here, you know?"

"Hi Kim," Luc pulled away from Izzy to smile over at her.

"Hi Luc," Kim smiled back; Luc, or Luciano Giovanni, was six foot one and Italian. He had stormy gray eyes, jet black hair and a tanned complexion. He was also the future owner of Giovanni Enterprises.

"So, what are you two planning?" Luc's gaze shifted between his girlfriend and his friend.

"I'm taking Kim out to cheer her up," Izzy said. "We had a slightly somber talk, so now I want to put her in a happy mood."

"Should I be worried?" Luc looked at his girlfriend.

"Why would you be?" Izzy asked as she placed an innocent look on her face.

"You know that doesn't fool me," Luc smiled. "So stop it; and please don't put some guy's life in jeopardy because you decided to check out any of them."

"Luc," Izzy started. "You know me better than that."

"I do know you," Luc chuckled, "hence the warning."

"Alright fine," Izzy sighed. "I won't flirt with any guys or give them the wrong impression."

"Thank you," Luc kissed her before turning to Kim. "Watch out for her will you please?"

"You know it," Kim nodded.

"Alright," Luc turned back to Izzy. "I have to go. The reason I came up here was to tell you that I'll be going out of town for a few days…a week at the most."

"Business?" Izzy asked; she knew that he left town now and again for business meetings dealing with Giovanni Enterprises.

"Yeah," Luc nodded.

"Ok," Izzy smiled. "I'll see you when you get back then."

"I'll call you," Luc said before he kissed her. "I love you."

"Love you too," Izzy replied. "See ya."

"Bye Kim," Luc said as he walked out the door.

"Bye." Kim waved before sitting back down on the couch.

"What are you doing?" Izzy asked. "Get up and go get ready."

Kim could only laugh as she did as she was told.

~…~

About an hour later, the two girls were ready.

"We look so good," Izzy said as she stood by Kim's side in front of the mirror.

"You're not vain at all," Kim laughed, though she had to admit her friend was right, they did look good. Kim herself was wearing a pair of knee-length jeans with pumps and a pink spaghetti strap shirt with a jean jacket over it; Izzy was wearing a pair of skinny jeans with two-inch heels and a green strapless top with the jacket over her arm.

"Let's go babe," Izzy smiled at Kim before walking out the room and to the door.

Kim shook her head with a smile and followed her. That night, the girls did enjoy themselves and Kim forgot about her problems and truly relaxed for the first time in weeks.

Over the next few days, though Kim kept up with her training, her thoughts kept straying to Izzy's words and she found herself doing her routines on autopilot as her mind kept going over her choices.

'_Can I really do this though? Can I tell off my mom and the coach and can I go back to Angel Grove to try and win Tommy back? Can I really do all that?' _she sighed as she flipped off the beam, landing with her legs closed and her arms out. She straightened up and walked over to her seat, grabbing the towel from the back of the chair and wiping her neck.

"Hey Kim," Izzy called out to her as she walked over. "So, have you thought more on what we talked about?"

"It's all I can think about," Kim admitted softly.

"And?" Izzy prodded, "what did you decide?"

"I'm really not sure I can do this," Kim sighed.

"Kim," Izzy grabbed her friend's shoulder. "What is your heart telling you?"

"To do it," Kim smiled, "to quit the gymnastics and to go back home."

"Then do it," Izzy said, "nothing is stopping you except for your fear. I told you before Kim, you're not happy. You're heart isn't in gymnastics anymore, and you shouldn't be either. Stop trying to make others happy and make yourself happy."

Kim was quiet. "I'll think about it some more tonight and then I'll make a decision."

"Good," Izzy nodded, "I hope it's the right one."

~…~

Later that night, Kim sat on her bed, her suitcase open in front of her. She had made her decision. She had called her mom earlier, hoping to talk to her, only to find out that her mother was on her way to the gym tomorrow to make sure she was staying focused; not once during the conversation did Caroline Dumas ask her daughter if she was doing ok…all she wanted to know was if her routines were on point. That more than anything solidify her decision; she was going home.

"Does that mean what I think it means?" Izzy asked from her doorway.

"Yes," Kim nodded, "I've decided to quit gymnastics and to go home."

"Finally!" Izzy squealed and launched herself at the bed and her friend. "Thank God you came to your senses."

"Help me find a cheap ticket home?" Kim asked.

"I'll do you one better," Izzy grinned, "Luc's taking you back to California or rather, his plane is."

"What?" Kim was shocked.

"Yeah," Izzy smiled, "he's lending out the private plane and letting it take you back to Angel Grove. It leaves tomorrow afternoon around six."

"But?" a slow smiled built on Kim's face. "How did—

"I knew you'd change your mind," Izzy smiled, "So I gave Luc the heads up and he offered like days ago."

"Days ago?" Kim stared at her.

"Like I said," Izzy smiled, "I knew you'd change your mind. Now come on, let me help you pack and then, we're going to go and tell the coach you're leaving."

"My mom's going to be here tomorrow morning," Kim murmured.

"Really?" Izzy grinned, "that's even better; we'll kill two birds with one stone. We'll tell off the coach and your mom."

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Kim fell back on her bed with a groan.

"Believe it sweetie," Izzy patted her knee. "Everyone deserves a second chance at love and you're getting yours."

"Let's pack," Kim looked at her friend and smiled.

~…~

The next morning, Izzy stood near the water fountain, watching the gym in interest; today, her best friend was finally going to do what she wanted her to…she was going to stand up to her mother and their coach. Izzy saw Caroline come through the doors and she smiled.

"Let the games begin," Izzy murmured as she moved to the beam where Kim was.

"Hey," Kim turned to her with a smile. "What's up?"

"You mother's here," Izzy gestured to where Caroline was. "It's now or never."

"I know," Kim took a deep breath before walking to where her mother was, Izzy in tow.

"Kimberly," Caroline looked at her daughter. "Isabel."

"Mom," Kim smiled tightly, "I need to talk to you."

"After," Caroline waved her words away, "right now, you need to show me your routines so I can see what you're up to."

"No mom," Kim shook her head, her voice strong. "We're talking now."

"Excuse me?" Caroline turned narrowed eyes on her daughter.

Next to them, Izzy moved to a chair and grinned; it was going to be good.

"If we put it off," Kim sighed, "then, you're never gonna let me say what I want to, so we're talking now."

"Fine," Caroline said, "what do you want to talk about?"

"Gymnastics," Kim paused before she took a deep breath and released it. "And my quitting it."

"WHAT?" Caroline's shriek echoed throughout the gym and everyone turned to the two. "Kimberly, you are not serious."

"I'm dead serious mom," Kim looked her mother in the eyes. Gymnastics used to be something that made me happy, it used to be fun, but now…now it's not. Over time, I slowly started lose interest and then I realized that I was no longer doing gymnastics because it made me happy, I was doing because it made you happy. I haven't been happy in months but I stayed because it was what you wanted, you and coach."

"Enough of this Kimberly," Caroline dismissed her daughter's words. "You're just in a funk and you will get over it soon enough."

Izzy glared at Caroline when she heard the condescending tone in her voice. She hoped Kim wasn't going to back down like she always did; chancing a look at her friend, she saw that Kim's eyes had narrowed in anger and she smiled.

"No mother," Kim's voice went cold and it stopped Caroline from walking away. "I will not get over it. I'm sick and tired of doing something that I don't love…not anymore. I gave up everything to do this and I have nothing to show for it."

"You gave up all distractions," Caroline glared at her daughter, willing her to obey and listen. "Especially that Tommy boy and it has been good; you never would have been at this level of skill if you had stayed with him."

"Being with Tommy didn't stop me from being a gymnast," Kim said, "being with him gave me the drive to do this; he gave me the strength to fly clear across the country, leaving everything I've ever known behind. Tommy was my rock and because I was foolish and I listened to you, I lost him. Without him supporting me, I lost my drive…my passion."

"What are you saying?" Caroline asked.

"I'm saying that I'm done," Kim sighed, "I've done the best I can mom, but it's not enough anymore. This is my life, not yours and not the coaches. You know what? I'm not even angry anymore over the fact that I listened to you and lost Tommy, but I just want you to understand."

"What is going on here?" Coach Schmidt asked as he walked up to the two.

"Maybe you can talk some sense into her," Caroline gestured towards her daughter.

"Kimberly?" Coach Schmidt turned to Kim.

"I'm done coach," Kim smiled, "I'm quitting gymnastics and leaving the gym. Like I told mom, this isn't working out anymore. I can't be the best if I'm not happy and I'm not. I did everything you guys asked, including giving up Tommy, and I regret that with my whole heart. It's my life, not yours, and it's time I started living it for me and no one else."

"Are you sure about this?" Schmidt was sad that she had made that decision, but he could understand it. He had seen the change in her over the last few months and a part of him was expecting something like this.

"All my life I wondered if I was good enough to make it to the Olympics," Kim said, "and then, you came to Angel Grove and you told me I was. You said you could help me get there and you almost did. But somewhere along the way, I lost myself…I lost my passion and my joy for doing this and that's not the makings of an Olympic winner. I can't be one when my heart and soul is no longer in gymnastics. I'm saying goodbye to this gym and that dream."

"If you are sure," Schmidt nodded, "then you can leave."

"I am," Kim nodded.

"Tell her she can't!" Caroline demanded, "she's giving up her dream."

"No mom," Kim shook her head, "it's not my dream, at least, not anymore."

"And Tommy is?" Caroline sneered.

"I believe so," Kim smiled, "I won't know until I go home."

"You're doing this on a whim?" Caroline asked. "You're saying goodbye for something you're not even sure will work out."

"I know," Kim nodded, "but you know what? Sometimes saying goodbye can lead to second chances. And this is mine; saying goodbye to this gym and this dream will lead me to having a second chance with Tommy."

"I can't believe this," Caroline shook her head.

"Well believe it," Kim said, "nothing you can say will change how I feel…nothing you say will change my mind."

"You're making a mistake," Caroline said.

"Be that as it may," Kim smiled, "it's my mistake to make." With that, she turned and walked away, the girls staring after her.

Izzy got up from her seat with a huge grin.

"You put her up to this," Caroline hissed.

"So?" Izzy shrugged, "I'm glad I did. You couldn't see past your own delusions to see what was really going on with your daughter. I did the one thing you didn't; I listened, I saw and then, I talked. Kim did the rest and I must say I'm happy with the decision she made. And now, now I'm gonna go help her pack. Ta ta."

~…~

"How do you feel?" Izzy asked as she walked into Kim's bedroom.

"Free," Kim said, "like a weight has been lifted off of me."

"Good," Izzy smiled, "I'm glad." She moved to the bed and helped Kim fold her clothes. The two girls talked quietly as they packed Kim's bags and in no time, they were finished. Moving the bags from the bedroom, they placed them near the couch.

"You ready?" Izzy asked as she looked over at her friend who was looking around the room.

"Yeah," Kim looked at her with a smile, "I'm ready."

"Let's go," Izzy grabbed two of Kim's bags while Kim grabbed two more and her purse. They were about to leave when the door opened and Luc walked in.

"You guys ready?" Luc asked; he had returned from his business this morning. It was earlier than he predicted, but neither he nor Izzy minded.

"Yeah," Izzy smiled, "babe, can you grab that bag near Kim's door? It's the last one."

"Sure," Luc walked over to where the bag was and picked it up. "Alright girls, let's go."

The trio walked out the room, locking the door behind them, and walked down the hallway. They passed other gymnasts on their way, who had stopped and stared, most unable to believe that Kim was actually going to go through it, but they ignored them.

They left the building, after one final goodbye from the coach and headed to Luc's car. After throwing the bags in the trunk, they trio got it and headed to the airport; as the car pulled away from the compound, Kim looked back at the building. She smiled as she remembered her times there and though a part of her was sad to see her how her dream had ended, she knew she was doing the right thing.

Smiling again, she turned away from the gym and smiled.

~…~

"So call me when you get to Angel Grove," Izzy said as she stood in front of her friend.

"I will," Kim nodded, "you can count on that."

"I want updates on how things are going for you," Izzy hugged her. "I'm so proud of you, you know that?"

"I do," Kim laughed. "I'm proud of myself too."

"Go get him Kim," Izzy smiled, "it's time you had your second chance."

"Wish me luck," Kim smiled.

"You don't need luck," Izzy shook her head. "All you need is to follow your heart."

"Plane's ready to go," Luc said as he walked back over to the two girls. "Are you ready Kim?"

"Yeah," Kim nodded, "I'm ready. I'm finally ready."

"That's my girl," Izzy smiled and hugged Kim once more.

"Thanks for everything Izzy," Kim whispered and tightened the hug for a few seconds before letting go.

"You're welcome," Izzy said, "now go."

"Bye," Kim waved and she grabbed her carryon bag before heading to the check out. She cleared and walked to the door to go out to the plane; she paused when she got and turned back to look at her friends. She was thankful for them, especially Izzy, as she knew she wouldn't have been able to do this without her support. She smiled and turned to walk out the door. It was time for her second chance.

* * *

_Tell my mother, tell my father, I've done the best I can  
To make them realize this is my life I hope they understand  
I'm not angry, I'm just saying...  
Sometimes goodbye is a second chance_

* * *

**A/N 3: **so, how did you guys like this? Read and review and let me know what you think.


	2. How Do You Sleep?

**Title: **A Love Story  
**Author: **Mykkila09  
**Chapter:** 2 of 4  
**Chapter Title: **How Do You Sleep?  
**Setting: **ZEO era; after the letter but before Jason joins the team as the Gold ranger.  
**Story Summary: **Both Kim and Tommy get advice from a friend, who help them realize that they should stop living life to make others happy and should start living it to make themselves happy. It's basically one of the ways I thought the show could've gone after that abominable and totally out of character letter.  
**Chapter Word Count: **4566

**A/N: **I'm glad everyone loved the first chapter. It was fun writing it; hopefully you guys will love this one too. I wasn't too sure if the Luau happened before Jason returned to the rangers, or how long after the letter it happened, but, let's just say it was before Jase's return. Thanks to all the reviews...loved them so much

**A/N 2: **this chapter is based on the song _How Do You Sleep _by _**Jesse McCartney**_; I know, the song doesn't really fit, but I thought it was good enough. And it's also about Tommy.

**Disclaimer: **Power Rangers and all its affiliates belong to Haim Saban. I am not making any money from this fic.

**Original Posting Date: **Sunday 13th Feb. '11.

* * *

**_*How do you sleep when you allow the one you love to get away?*_**

* * *

He sighed as he looked out at the lake from where he sat on the grass under a tree. His shoulder length dark locks, usually in a ponytail, were loose and fluttered gently in the breeze. Even though his gaze was on the water, he wasn't seeing it; his mind was on one thing only, or rather, one person. Kimberly Hart; the love of his life and the one he allowed to get away.

He had thought things were going well between them until out of the blue back in May, he had received a letter from her saying she had met someone else. While his heart protested the idea and demanded he go after, his head had believed it and had told him to abide by her wishes, so he hadn't done anything; he had let her go without a fight because he had thought it was what she had wanted…he thought she was happy and in the end, that was all that really mattered to him.

But now, he was rethinking his decision; he still loved her, even after all this time. It's been three months since the letter and he still hadn't gotten over her. He thought about her all the time and more often than not, found himself wondering about what could have been.

He heard footsteps behind and moved his slightly to bring the person in his line of sight; seeing the shoes, he recognized the person and turned back to look out over the lake.

"Hey Tommy," the person said as they sat down next to him.

"Hey Rocky," Tommy replied; he looked over at his friend, noticing with wry amusement that Rocky was wearing a blue sleeveless t-shirt, sweats and a pair of blue sneakers with white streaks along the side. His friend's color had changed from red to blue.

"What's up man?" Rocky looked at his friend, grimacing a bit at seeing him in a red t-shirt and red sweats; he had nothing against the color as it was one of his favorites, he just thought the color looked weird on his friend. He preferred seeing him in green or white. "Everyone's at the youth center wondering where you're at."

"Everyone or just Kat?" Tommy asked. Kat was a friend of theirs; she was from Australia and moved to Angel Grove just last summer. She had shoulder length blond hair, blue eyes and was just slightly shorter than Tommy, who stood a six foot one. After the letter, he had been moving through a fog and the Australian blonde had been there for him. They talked, or rather, she talked and he just listened or sometimes pretended to. He wasn't as oblivious as everyone thought he was; he could tell that the blonde had feelings for him. He had ignored them, but it seemed like everyone thought they should give each other a try, so he had asked her to Ernie's Luau just a month and a half after the letter…a week later, he asked her out and they've been dating ever since.

"She is too," Rocky said then paused, "talk to me man, what's going on with you? While I may not know you as long as Billy, I'd like to think I've known you long enough to be able to tell when something was up."

Tommy smiled ruefully. It was true, right now, Billy knew him the longest out of their friends, but Rocky and Adam were just behind. There were six of them; he, Billy, Rocky, Adam, Kat and Tanya and all six shared a secret; they were a group of crime fighting, superheroes known to the citizens of Angel Grove as Power Rangers. They dedicated most of their time to fighting evil and defending their hometown from being taken over or destroyed by evil beings hell bent on it.

"I just wanted some space," Tommy answered, "to think about things."

"Think about what?" Rocky asked; he paused and then he continued, "does it have to do with a girl we all love whose favorite color is pink, and is currently on the other side of the country training to be an elite gymnast?"

Tommy didn't even hesitate in his answer. "Yes. I find myself thinking about her a lot these days."

"What do you think about?" Rocky asked softly as he turned slightly to look at his friend. Tommy was never one to really speak what was on his mind unless it had to do with their ranger duties; anything and everything personal, he kept to himself. There was only one person who could get him to open up, but she wasn't here. Rocky felt honored that Tommy was opening up to him.

"Everything," Tommy chuckled. "I think about the letter and how it was so out of the blue; I think about my decision to not go after her even though my heart was screaming at me to do so and I think about what would've happened if I had gone after her."

Rocky was quiet; when the letter came, he had been blindsided by it as much as his friend had. He knew Kimberly; he had fought with her through countless battles and he knew the type of person she was. Kim was never one to intentionally hurt her friends; she never did something if she knew that someone she cared about was going to be hurt by her actions. When Aisha's friend Shawna from Stone Canyon had been mean to Kim, the petite brunette had had every right to go off on the girl but she hadn't; she knew that Aisha had really wanted her and Shawna to be civil and like each other, so Kim had went out of her way to be nice to the girl. Kim didn't just care about Tommy, she loved him; so for her to write a 'Dear John' letter and send it to the youth center, it was completely out of character for her.

"You messed up bro," Rocky said and when Tommy looked at him, he explained. "Tommy, you're one of the strongest people I know and I always admired that about you; you have never given up even though there were times when there was no other option but to do that. Like when Zedd had kidnapped Kim and Zordon wanted you to wait; what did you do? You didn't give up, you fought everyone to go after her. But, you did the exact opposite with the letter; instead of fighting for Kim, you let her go. You've always been a fighter Tommy, and yet, when the letter came, you gave up the fight before you even started and that's not like you. And now, you're realizing how big of a mistake that was." He paused. "Do you still love Kim?"

"I never stopped," Tommy admitted; he didn't feel angry at his friend as his words were ones that he himself had thought about over and over again. "At first, I was really angry at her for the letter and the way she ended things between us, but you're right; I messed up too. I should've fought for her, but I didn't, and now, I'm left with a bunch of regrets."

"So what are you going to do?" Rocky asked; he knew that Kim and Tommy belonged together. You could see it every time you looked at the two of them and saw the way they would look at each other…the things they would do for each other; for them to be with other people just seemed wrong to him.

"I don't know," Tommy breathed out. "I really don't know; I don't want to hurt Kat and I know that's what'll happen if I say anything. Maybe I should leave Kim alone; if she's happy, then there's nothing else I want."

"Tommy," Rocky's voice turned serious. "Listen to me; I may not know you as well as Kim, but I'd still like to think I know you pretty well and I know that you regret not going after her. I never believed that letter because I know Kim and so do you; we both know she wasn't the type to hurt someone she loved so callously, especially someone that meant as much to her as you do. It just wasn't in her nature. Kat is a great girl and all, but I don't think she's the girl for you; I think it was a mistake to date her in the first place, especially since you just admitted you're still in love with Kim."

Tommy stared at his friend; he wasn't shocked that Rocky was so serious because he knew that under his joking and clown attitude, his friend was actually very perceptive.

"You and Kim are it," Rocky continued, "I know that some people may think you guys have a puppy love or something because you're still in high school, but that's not true. Every day we risk our lives and every battle we come away from, we lose our innocence and grow up just a bit more and that's why what you and Kim have is anything but a puppy love. While most of us teens are wondering if we're ever going to find that special someone, you and Kim got lucky. You found each other immediately.

"Yes you're still in high school, but that just means that you guys won't have to go through all the emotional crap that the rest of us will go through. Besides, you've already been through it all; from you attacking them, to Kim getting kidnapped then nearly dying, for her to move clear across the country and then the break-up. Every bad thing that could happen has happened and you guys survived each one. Who knows, maybe you were supposed to break-up now, so that you wouldn't do it in the future. While everyone is going to go through multiple bad break-ups and wonderings of 'is this the one?' you guys won't. I know you don't to want hurt Kat Tommy, but isn't she already getting hurt for the simple fact that your heart will always be with Kim and not her? Aren't you hurting her by seeing Kim whenever you look at her?"

Tommy looked away; everything Rocky was saying hit too close to home.

Rocky smiled and stood up. "Maybe it's time you stopped doing what was best for everyone else and started doing what was best for you." he squeezed Tommy's shoulder. "I'll tell everyone you went home because you were feeling off; just think about what I said Tommy."

Rocky turned and headed back to the youth center, hoping that his words got through to his friend.

~…~

Way up in the mountains, an intergalactic being called Zordon, mentor to the rangers, looked at the scene on the viewing globe with a smile. He was proud of his blue ranger for what he said to their leader; he knew that the red ranger was still down despite the happy front he portrayed to his friends and he hadn't know how to truly help him out of it. he had thought of the words for so long and knew that even if he had said anything, Tommy was very stubborn and once he made his mind up about something, it was impossible to change it; only one other person had ever been able to that and she wasn't there…at least, not yet.

He knew of the unhappiness that had resided in Kimberly the past few months, but he knew that she would find her way and that it would lead her back home. He was looking forward to it; he thought it was amusing that the same time that Rocky was having his heart to heart with Tommy, Kimberly was having it with her roommate.

"Oh Zordon," the robot, Alpha, sighed as his stood in front of the globe. "Do you think Rocky's words got to him?"

Zordon looked at the thoughtful look on Tommy's face and smiled. "Yes Alpha, they did. Now it's up to the falcon to decide the course of his flight." He wasn't worried; he knew that his falcon and crane would fly together once more as they were meant to.

~…~

Tommy watched Rocky walk away before he turned back to the lake; after a few minutes, he stood, brushed the dirt from his sweats and started walking. As he walked, his thoughts drifted over what Rocky said before he started thinking about his life Angel Grove…his life before Kim.

'_Man,' _he thought, _'things were different then. My family moved so much that I never really settled any place. I was a loner, more focused on martial arts because it was easier than making friends. But everything changed when we moved here; I gained my first set of friends and it was all because of Kim. I never thought I'd make any friends; I thought everything would be the same as before, but it wasn't and it was because of her. She pulled me into her circle of friends and for the first time in my life, I felt welcomed.'_

Tommy sighed; his gaze kept straying over the people as he passed, some by themselves, others in groups and some as a couple. As usual, his thoughts drifted to Kim; he thought on everything that had happened to them since they met.

'_She was my first everything; my first girlfriend, my first true friend, not even Jason can claim that, my first lover and my first heartbreak,' _he chuckled, _'she helped more than anyone else. I love her so much.' _

"What do I do?" Tommy asked himself. He drifted off once again and he remembered everything he felt for Kim and everything they'd been through; how they fought each day just to survive, how they stood strong for each other through all the dark times and how he disobeyed their beloved mentor to go against their then villain Lord Zedd just for her. _'So then, why didn't I fight for her? Why did I give her up so easily?' _

As he neared where his jeep was parked, Rocky's words came back to him and he knew he'd have to make a decision soon, one that would be best for him.

~…~

After he had gotten home that day in the park, he had been cleaning his room when he found Kim's letter; the one where she broke up with him. In a daze he had sat down on his bed and stared at the words as memories flew across his mind. He had remembered all the dates they had gone on and all the little things that they had done for each other; little things that had made them fall even more in love with the other.

Over the next few days, Tommy could be found losing himself in his thoughts. His friends were worried, all except for Rocky, and talked to each about what they could do. As could be the norm, the friends were at the youth center, relaxing after a battle.

"Is he doing it again?" Kat asked as she joined the others at the table.

"Yeah," Tanya, a dark-skinned curly-haired girl, answered as she looked out to where Tommy was.

"I don't get it," Kat sighed as she looked at her boyfriend. "If he's going through something, then why won't he talk to us? We're his friends."

"Kat," Adam, a short-haired Asian male, turned to the blonde. "I've tried talking to him, we all have."

"Look guys," Rocky said, "If Tommy wanted us to know what was going on, he'd tell us. I think we should just leave him alone until then."

"You know something," Billy, a male blond, spoke up suddenly, pinning Rocky with a suspicious look.

"No," Rocky denied, "but I know Tommy, so do you and Adam and you know that Tommy doesn't talk to anyone about what he's feeling."

"But he should talk to me," Kat's frowned and her voice became adamant. "I'm his girlfriend."

"I know that," Rocky looked at her before looking back at Tommy. "But just because you're his girlfriend, doesn't mean he's obligated to tell you everything. Sometimes people just need alone time to sort things out for themselves." _'And you're not Kim; she was the only one that could get him to talk.' _The last part was added in his mind.

"Wow Rocky," Tanya looked at him in amazement. "I had no idea you could be so—

"So serious," Kat finished, "and eloquent and deep."

"Of course you don't," Rocky muttered and shook his head.

~…~

Tommy knew his friends were worried about him; he knew they wanted him to talk and felt frustrated and maybe just a bit angry that he wasn't opening up to them. He didn't blame them, but he wasn't going to do anything either. He knew Kat especially was angry and knew that she had a right to feel that way, but he couldn't change who he was for her; Kim was the only one he ever felt comfortable letting see his inner, more personal thoughts.

He had spent the past few days thinking things over and he had come to a decision; he had went to see Zordon late last night to talk to him about it and their mentor had all but given him his blessings. He knew that the others wouldn't understand and would probably be confused and that Kat would be hurt, but Rocky was right; he needed to stop making decisions that made everyone else happy and start making decisions that made him happy.

That's why he was sitting away from his friends right now; he had to come to terms with his decision and truly think on if it was the right thing to do. Kim's face popped up into his mind and he knew, he was making the right decision. Kat would get hurt, but it was better she got hurt now rather than later on when she became even more emotionally invested in him. And besides, he had already hurt her by agreeing to date her knowing his heart was still with Kim and that he wasn't over her.

Taking a deep and fortifying breath, Tommy rose from his seat and headed over to his friends. He could see them looking at him and knew that while it would be tough, it was the right thing he was about to do.

"Hey guys," Tommy said when he reached them.

"Hey Tommy," they smiled at him.

"Kat," Tommy turned to the Australian blonde, "can I talk to you?"

"Sure Tommy," Kat smiled and moved to get up from her seat. "What is it about?"

"Us," Tommy answered to the confusion of the others and the delight of Rocky's.

"What?" at the word, Kat had dropped back into her seat, her heart pounding. "What about us?"

"Can we talk in private?" Tommy asked, hoping the blonde would consent to his request.

"We're all friends here," Kat shook her head; a part of her knew what he was about to say, but she hoped he was wrong and that the thought of doing it in front of their friends.

"Please Kat?" Tommy really hoped she would change her mind as he didn't want to do it in front of everyone.

"Ok Tommy," Kat nodded slowly and got up once more. She followed her boyfriend as he led her away from their friends and out the youth center.

"What is it you want to talk about?" Kat asked when they were outside.

Tommy walked over to one of the benches and sat down. "Sit."

"Tommy," Kat followed him, "you're starting to scare me a little. What's going on?"

"For the past few days," Tommy started, "I've been thinking about everything that has happened to me before I moved here, since I moved and things that happened in the past few months and I came to a realization."

"What did you realize?" Kat asked.

"I realize that I've been hurting you," Tommy said.

"No you haven't," Kat cut him off, slightly relieved that that was what he thought.

"No Kat, listen," Tommy shook his head. "I have been hurting you without even realizing it."

"How have you hurt me Tommy?" Kat asked.

"By dating you," Tommy said, at the slightly confused and affronted look on Kat's face. He continued. "Not that there's anything wrong with you, it's just that, I shouldn't have asked you out or continuing being with you when I knew that you never have my heart."

"What are you saying Tommy?" Kat's heart was pounding; it sounded to her like Tommy was breaking up with her and she hoped it wasn't true.

"I'm saying," Tommy paused, looked away for a split second before looking back at Kat, his eyes serious. "I'm saying that I'm still in love with Kim; she has my heart, she always has and she always will. I never should have let her go; when I got that letter, I should've gone after her. It's not fair to you to be with me when I know I won't love you like you want me to."

"Are you breaking up with me?" Kat whispered as she felt her eyes fill with tears.

"Yes," Tommy nodded, "I've thought long and hard about this and I know it's the right thing to do. I can't continue being with you when I don't feel for you what you feel for me. You're a great girl Kat, and you'll be truly special and everything to someone, but that someone's not me. I'm not saying any of this to hurt you, but I couldn't keep living this lie either. I'm sorry."

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Kat asked; she winced inwardly at the slightly desperate tone to her voice. "I mean, we can work things out can't we?"

"No Kat, we can't," Tommy shook his head. "Even if we did figure something out, it would never work. Please don't make this harder than it has to be."

"Well I'm sorry," Kat wiped her tears, "I thought we were happy and now you're telling me that you were just pretending. I don't understand; I mean, would things have been different if you had met me first?"

"You mean," Tommy looked at her, "would I have fallen in love with you if I had met you before Kim? I don't think so. I mean, I probably would have been closer to you than I am now, but Kim's it for me Kat. Even if I had met you first and then Kim after, I still would've fallen in love with her, that's just the way it is. I don't mean to sound harsh, but you and I are just not meant to be."

"Oh," Kat looked away. Hearing the words felt like a blow to her heart; she had fallen so completely in love with him and to hear him say that he didn't love her and never would hurt a lot.

"Are you going to be ok?" Tommy reached out to touch her shoulder, but let his hand drop when she shied away from his touch.

"I need some time alone to think about things," Kat said softly.

"Ok," Tommy nodded and stood up. "I really am sorry Kat."

"I know you are," Kat whispered; even though she was hurt, she knew she couldn't be angry with him for speaking what was in his heart.

"Alright then," Tommy said, "I'll tell the others."

"Thank you," Kat looked at him briefly before turning away.

Tommy said nothing else and headed back into the youth center. The moment he was out of sight and hearing range, Kat's tears spilt over onto her cheeks as she started crying.

~…~

"Tommy," Tanya looked up at him when she saw him coming. She looked behind him for their blonde friend and when she didn't see her, she turned back to him. "Where's Kat?"

"She's outside," Tommy answered as he sat down. "She needs some time alone."

"Oh?" Adam looked at him. "If you don't mind us asking, what did you guys talk about?"

"I guess you guys are going to find out sooner or later," Tommy said, "Kat and I broke up."

"What?" Tanya, Adam and Billy looked shocked while Rocky smiled.

"How?" Tanya asked, "Why?"

"I realized I couldn't be the person she wanted me to be," Tommy explained, "and it was better to break things off now rather than later when it would hurt even more."

"I thought you guys were happy?" Billy said.

"She was," Tommy admitted, "but I wasn't and she needed to know that. I couldn't keep dating her knowing I didn't feel the same way she felt."

"I can't believe this," Tanya shook her head and stood up. "I'm gonna go see how she's doing."

"You really did break up with her," Adam said when Tanya left.

"Yeah," Tommy nodded.

"You do know things are going to be a bit strained around here?" Rocky asked.

"Yeah I do," Tommy said, "but you know what? I'm ok with that."

"So," Billy asked, "What made you decide to break things off with Kat?"

"I realized I wasn't as over Kim as I thought," Tommy sighed.

"What are you going to do about it?" Adam asked.

"At this moment," Tommy shook his head, "I don't know."

~…~

Two days later, the friends once again found themselves at the youth center after a battle. Kat had a ballet class and Tanya, Adam and Billy were talking together about Tommy and Kat.

Tommy and Rocky were sparring on the mats before they took a break and walked over to a table; Tommy sat with his back to the door and their friends.

"Still talking?" Tommy asked, referring to the other three.

"Yeah," Rocky nodded, "they're still trying to understand everything that happened between you and Kat. It's obvious they don't want to pick sides, but I think that they're mostly on Kat's side."

"As long as it doesn't affect our duties," Tommy shrugged, "then I don't really care."

Rocky nodded and was about to say something else when he stiffened up and his eyes widened slightly in shock and delight.

"Rocky?" Tommy looked at him.

"Hey Tommy?" Rocky started, "remember how you said you were not over Kim and that you were still in love with her?"

"Yeah," Tommy nodded.

"And if you had the chance to make things right with Kim," Rocky continued, "if you were given a second chance at being with her, would you take it?"

"In a heartbeat," Tommy didn't hesitate to give his answer. "If Kim came to me and told me she made a mistake and wanted us to try again, I'd take it."

"Good," Rocky smiled, "here's your second chance."

"What?" Tommy was confused.

"Turn around," Rocky grinned and gestured to behind him.

Tommy did as he asked and his eyes widened as his mouth fell open in shock. He slowly stood from his seat and started walking to the entrance, barely aware of the calls from his friends; he only had eyes for the person standing there. He stopped when he was a short distance away and stared at them.

"Hello Tommy," the person greeted nervously.

"Kimberly," her name fell from his lips in a breathy whisper.

* * *

_It's been about a year now, ain't seen or heard from you  
I've been missing you crazy, how do you, how do you sleep  
I found the letter you wrote me, it still smells just like you  
Damn those sweet memories, how do you, how do you sleep?  
How do you sleep?_

* * *

**A/N 3: **so, how do you guys like the story so far? I hope this chapter was very good. Obviously the lyrics don't match completely, but it's still good.

**A/N 4: **was anyone surprised that the friend was Rocky? I know some wanted Jason, but I felt that Rocky would be better and this story _was_before Jase joined as the Gold Ranger.

Anyways, read and review.


	3. Home

**Title: **A Love Story  
**Author: **Mykkila09  
**Chapter:** 3 of 4  
**Chapter Title: **Home  
**Setting: **ZEO era; after the letter but before Jason joins the team as the Gold ranger.  
**Story Summary: **Both Kim and Tommy get advice from a friend, who help them realize that they should stop living life to make others happy and should start living it to make themselves happy. It's basically one of the ways I thought the show could've gone after that abominable and totally out of character letter.  
**Chapter Word Count: **4594

**A/N: **here is chapter three. I'm glad everyone loves the story so far. Enjoy.

**A/N 2: **this chapter is based on the song _Home _by _**Daughtry **_and, it's about Kim.

**Disclaimer: **Power Rangers and all its affiliates belong to Haim Saban. I am not making any money from this fic.

**Original Posting Date: **Sunday 20th Feb. '11.

* * *

_***Home is the place where I belong…home is where the heart is***_

* * *

As she settled on the plane, Kim sighed; she was really and truly going home. She was scared, of course, about her reception from the others, especially Tommy, but she knew she had to do it. She had to find out if there was still a chance for the two of them; if not, then at least she'd know instead of her wondering.

She looked out the window, smiling softly as the plane taxied down the runway and lifted off. As she watched the ocean below her, her thoughts drifted off and she found herself thinking about her past…her ranger past.

She remembered when Zordon first chose them and told them what he had wanted them to do, she remembered how terrified she was of doing it, she remembered the attack from the putties and how that had made the choice for them…they had accepted being rangers and from then on, things changed. Because of the rangers, she had grown up, she had matured and her friends had as well.

'_I can't believe we did all that,' _she mused, _'I can't believe __**I **__did all that. I was so different before I became a ranger; I was a bit shallow and too much of a valley girl, but I changed, we all did. Being a ranger changed us. Because of the rangers, we've seen things, been to places and done things people can only dream about. I knew the moment I accepted, that being a ranger would change my life, but I never realized or anticipated how much; because I was a ranger, I gained the confidence to approach Tommy that day in school.' _

Kim shifted in her seat to get more comfortable as her thoughts drifted to her ex; in some ways, Tommy was quite the opposite of her. Where she was outgoing, he was shy and more of a homebody, where she was a mere five feet two, Tommy was six foot one. His skin tone was more olive while hers was a more tanned white, she had doe-brown eyes while his eyes reminded her of dark chocolate; she had brown or caramel-colored hair while his was very dark, reminiscent to the same color as a raven.

"I can't believe people think his hair is mahogany colored," Kim laughed, "Can't they see that Tommy's hair is more the color of a raven and not a dark reddish brown?"

She looked out the window again and her thoughts drifted off once more. _'When Tommy was chosen by Rita to be her evil green ranger, that was so tough. I mean, even though at first we didn't know who it was, I think a part of me deep down knew it was him. I felt a connection to him the first time I saw him and that connection grew when we met. When the evil green ranger showed up, I remember a part of me saying it couldn't be him, which is probably why my attacks were never full on. I couldn't think of hurting him like that.' _She sighed, _'And then Alpha showed us who the green ranger was and all I could think was that I was right. And still, that didn't stop me from going after him, from wanting to be with him.'_

Kim's thoughts continued on and she remembered when they had broken the spell over Tommy, how apologetic he was to everyone and to her, she remembered the brave front he had put up in front of the others, but it was only later when she had gone to see him, did he break down and told her the truth; he had told her of how scared he was when he was the green ranger because it was like he could see and hear everything that was happening, but he couldn't do anything to stop it. He had confessed how remorseful he had felt when he had hurt her and how terrified he was that she wouldn't have been able to forgive him.

She had felt humbled and pleased by the fact that he had trusted her enough to let her see him like that. After that, the two quickly became inseparable; they would always find time to talk with each other, especially after battles. She had felt so privileged that she was the only one getting to see him like that. When Jason had started talking to Tommy and Tommy started opening to him as well, she had been jealous, but she hadn't let her jealousy shown. And then Tommy had admitted to her that as close Jason was, he still preferred talking to her and she was still the only one that knew his deep, dark, personal thoughts.

"So much as happened between us," Kim sighed as she once again looked out the window. "We've been through more shit that any other teenager and we survived. People had thought we were being silly for being in love in high school, but it was true." She chuckled sadly, "not even my mom believed that we would find each other. She never liked him from the start."

With another sad sigh, Kim thought on how things had started changing when her mother met Tommy. Caroline Hart, Dumas since she had been remarried when Tommy met her, had looked at Tommy with thinly veiled disgust; when they had gotten home, she had told Kim she didn't trust him and that she hadn't wanted her to date him, but Kim had been adamant and had stuck with her decision to be with Tommy. She had thought that that was the end of it when her mother had dropped the subject, but she was wrong.

'_I should've known she had never accepted it,' _Kim pulled her feet off the ground and close to her chest so that she could wrap her arms around her knees. _'To think, my mother would do everything that would make me unhappy and not even realize she was doing it…or maybe she just didn't care, as long as she got what she wanted.' _

When Zedd had stolen her coin and she had almost died, not once had she ever considered giving up her ranger duties, but she was more than willing to give up her gymnastic ones; truth be told, she hadn't been that afraid of getting back on the beam. For crying out loud, she had fallen off the beam a lot when she was younger, sure it had been more serious that time around than any others, but still; her being on the beam was like having an extra limb…she was so used to it. Her real reason was that she had seen her accident as a way to quit being a gymnast.

What her friends didn't know was that Coach Schmidt showing up hadn't been an accident; her mother had called the coach from Paris and had told him about her. After the man had seen her perform for Tommy and had told her she could be good enough for the Olympics, she had felt so honored and in that moment, one of her dreams had been fulfilled; all she had ever wanted when she was a kid was to know that she was good enough to make it and she was and as far as she was concerned, she could close the door on that dream.

But then, her mother had called her later on that night and had told her she would be foolish if she allowed the opportunity to pass her by; Caroline had all but demand her daughter to accept Schmidt's offer and she had. When she had fallen off the beam, she had been happy because she had a reason to quit, but then Katherine had taken it upon herself to "help" her get over her fears and she had performed.

When Schmidt had offered her the chance to come to Florida, she had been ready to tell him no, but her mother had gotten to her again, so she had told her friends some excuse about it being a dream of hers and she had made her decision to leave. And then things changed; when she got to Florida, she found herself immediately missing home. A part of her was happy to be there and training, but the biggest part of her wanted to go home…to Tommy. As the time passed, things changed; her natural love for gymnastics was diminishing and soon enough, she started performing not for herself, but for her coach and her mother.

'_I can't believe I allowed her to talk me into doing that,' _Kim felt tears fill her eyes. _'My mother so wanted to control my life that she made me give up everything that made happy…she made me give up my friends, my home and Tommy. I never wanted to write that letter, but I did; I listened to her and I cut the one person that meant the most to me from my life. I guess it is true what they say; you have to be careful what you wish for because you just might get it all. Well I did, and I got some I didn't want; I wished to be good enough for the Pan Globals and going to the Olympics and I got it...but I lost Tommy in the process.'_

Writing that 'Dear John' letter to Tommy had been one of the worse decisions of her life; she had allowed her mother to talk her into it, knowing it would hurt Tommy. And then, to rub salt in an open would, she had followed her mother's decision to send it to the youth center. A part of her had hoped that Tommy would call her to talk about it, but the bigger part, her heart, knew he wouldn't; Tommy loved her more than anything and her happiness was more important to him that anything else. If he thought she was truly happy, then he wouldn't have come after her.

However, Caroline didn't see it that way; she had been smug when she told Kim that she was right about him all along and that if he had truly cared about her and had truly loved her, he would've come after her. And so, Kim had once again allowed herself to believe her mother and had thrown herself into her gymnastics. Until Izzy had decided to do something about it; Izzy had pulled her from the fog she was in and told her the truth. Her friend had forced her to see exactly what gymnastics had come to mean to her. Because of Izzy, she had found her lost confidence and had stood up to her mother and it had felt good.

Now, here she was, on a plan to go back home to everything she left behind. She was scared, but she wasn't going to change her mind.

~…~

Almost six hours later, the plane touched down at the Angel Grove International. After clearing through customs, Kim grabbed her bags and headed out to the parking lot where she hailed a taxi. Since she had left late afternoon, it was already night time in California; she knew that she didn't really have anyone to stay with as Trini, Jason and Zack were still in Switzerland, Aisha was in Africa and she hadn't really spoken to Billy after the whole letter fiasco, so she directed the taxi to the hotel.

After checking in, Kim went up to her room; she didn't unpack, just placed her bags near the bed before collapsing on the bed. She reached down to open one of her bags and pulled out a picture; holding it, she shifted on the bed and curled up against the pillow, her gaze on the photo. It was picture of her and Tommy and it was taken the night they had destroyed Ivan Ooze; after the fireworks were over, the friends had walked around, happy at all the smiling faces. She and Tommy were turned to each other, huge smiles on their faces with one of Tommy's hand on Kim's cheek; the picture was taken just before they kissed.

Holding the picture, Kim rolled over onto her back, her gaze on the ceiling; Tommy was everything she could've ever wanted in someone. He listened to her, he did things for her and he made her feel special, like to him, she was the only person in the world. She could act any way she wanted around him and he would accept it. She had always heard that home was where your heart was and her heart was with Tommy, so he was her home; she felt more at peace and content with him than anywhere else. What made it even better was the fact that he had told her the same thing; he had admitted last Christmas that his heart was hers and she would always have a home in him because he knew that his home would always be with her and wherever she was.

Her thoughts drifted to the past few months; she knew that he had moved on and that it was with Kat. She wasn't blind; whenever she saw postings on the website for the Angel Grove Outlet, she had seen it. She had seen the way the pink ranger would always make sure she was next to the red ranger, she had seen the touches the pink ranger gave the red ranger and she had seen the way Kat had placed her hand on Tommy's arm and the look she had given him when the friends had had their picture taken for a cleanup they had participated in. She had known even before she left Angel Grove that the Australian blonde had feelings for Tommy and the moment she had sent the letter, she had known that there was a very real chance that the two would somehow end up together.

Kim turned on her side with a sigh; she knew that Kat would be hurt by her coming actions, and while she was sad about it, she found that Izzy was right. _'I have to start living my life for me. If there's the slightest possibility that Tommy still wants me, then I have to take it. I still love him and I believe with everything in me that he and I are meant to be.'_

Tightening her hold on the picture, Kim felt a smile play on her lips. Her resolved strengthened and she knew that she would do as Izzy asked; she was going to get her man back. She and Tommy belonged together, she was sure of it and she was going to make it happen.

~…~

Despite her words, Kim had spent the next two days in her hotel room preparing her game plan; she hadn't left the room since she got here because she hadn't wanted to see the others before she was truly prepared for them. She needed to her thoughts in order and think about just how she was going to approach Tommy and how she was going to convince him to give her another chance. She also needed to think on how she was going to deal with the others, especially Katherine; she knew the blonde would be resentful if Kim tried to steal her boyfriend, but Kim found that she couldn't really bring herself to care much. She had spent the past few months doing what her mother wanted and she was tired of doing things that left everyone happy but herself.

If Tommy still loved her, then she was going to do everything she could to get him back. She gave him up once before and she wasn't going to give him up a second time. But if he didn't, if he had really moved on, then she would let him go. It would hurt, but she'd do it.

So that was why she was leaving her hotel room this afternoon; she had heard on the news about the battle that the rangers had against the cogs and had stayed inside, not wanting to be anywhere near it. But she knew she couldn't keep putting things off; she needed to act now.

After showering and getting dressed, Kim grabbed her room key from the dresser and left the room. She walked down the hallway to the elevators, her mind focused on what she had to do today. She knew that she would undoubtedly mess her friends lives, but she steeled herself against the instinct to leave them be. She missed Tommy, she loved him still and she wanted him back.

~…~

After leaving the hotel room, Kim stood outside and closed her eyes, allowing the gentle breeze of Angel Grove to brush across her face; if there was one thing she missed, it was this. Nothing compared to the feeling of the Angel Grove's balmy breeze against your skin or fluttering your hair. She knew it was silly, thinking as if the breeze belonged to only Angel Grove, but she didn't care…that was how she felt; it was true what they said, there was no place like home.

Sighing, Kim turned in the direction of the youth center and started walking; she came upon the park and decided to cut through. As she walked, memories assaulted; memories of times she had spent hanging out with her friends, memories of all the ranger fights that they had had, memories of long walks with Tommy as they talked about nothing and everything. She passed a rock next to the lake and she stopped; with a smile, she walked over to it and sat down as one of the best memories of her and Tommy came to her…the memory of their first kiss.

_Flashback_

_She walked through the park as she looked for Tommy; she was a bit worried about him and how he was dealing with not being a ranger anymore. She couldn't imagine what he was feeling right now as she still had hers, but she knew it had to be hard for him and she wanted to be there for him. She couldn't understand what it was about him that drew her; all that she knew was that she felt something for him and that he had somehow found a spot in her heart. She could easily see herself falling for him and that thought terrified her as much as it excited her._

_Shaking her head, she smiled when she saw him practicing Katas on a rock a short distance away. The way his moves flowed from one to the other had her smiling; he was the strongest boy she knew and yet he had such a gentle side to him that she always felt honored whenever he opened up to her._

_When she was close enough, she decided to let him know she was there. "They said back at the gym I'd find you here."_

_Tommy stopped his Katas and a smile came on his face when he saw, causing a slight flush to appear on her cheeks. He jumped off the rock and walked over to her._

"_Yeah…I like practicing outside sometimes," Tommy smiled down at her when they were standing in front of each other. "You know…smell the fresh air."_

"_How are you doing?" the concern for him was evident in her voice; she hoped he was handling everything well._

"_I'm hanging," Tommy shrugged, the smile still on his face. "I've been working on my karate, focus on my school work…I'm just trying to keep busy, you know?"_

_She said nothing for a few minutes as she tried to get up the courage to tell him how she felt. But the words she wanted to say couldn't come out. So instead, her answer was general. "We miss you."_

"_Yeah, but you guys were a team long before I came along," Tommy smiled, "it'll go back to normal soon."_

'_**What if I don't want it to go back to normal?' **__she asked herself. Before she could really think about it, she blurted out the words she really wanted to say. "__**I **__miss you."_

_Tommy said nothing and she thought she had made a huge mistake; that's why when he reached out and grabbed her hand in his, she was shocked. She looked at their joined hands briefly, pleasure going through her as he gently rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand, before looking back at him. She saw the smile on his face and could only watch in surprise, and happiness, as he slowly brought his face closer. Knowing he was only going so slowly because he was afraid it wasn't what she wanted, she helped him out. She took a tiny step closer and tilted her head up. _

_Their lips met in what had to be the gentlest kiss known to man, and yet, she still felt sparks shooting through her. It only lasted for a few seconds before they both pulled away, but she didn't mind and judging by the smile on his face, neither did he._

"_I've been wanting to that for a long time," Tommy confessed as he lightly swung their still joined hands._

"_Me too," she admitted with a smile._

She was pulled from the memory by the sound of laughing children. Shaking her head, Kim got up and continued on her way. Soon enough, she spotted the youth center in the distance and she felt butterflies in her tummy, signaling her nervousness. As she got closer, the butterflies multiplied until she felt she could float away.

Walking up to the doors of the youth center, she took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves before she opened the door and walked in.

When she got inside, nostalgia hit her and she couldn't help the gasp that escaped; she never realized just how much she missed this place until she came back. She didn't regret going to Florida, though she did regret some of the choices she had made after she got there, but there was truly nothing like being home. She looked around, taking in, and delighting in, the fact that the place hadn't changed much at all; everything still looked the same.

When her gaze swept the room, she paused when she saw her friends, and him. He was sitting at a different table and he was talking to Rocky, his back to the room. She watched as Rocky stiffened when he saw her and felt relief and pleasure when his eyes widened in joy and delight; she watched as he said something to Tommy and her heart pounded when the man she loved more than anything turned and looked at her, his eyes widening and mouth falling open in shock.

Kim stood still as Tommy stood slowly from his seat and walked over to where she was, ignoring their friends as he did so. She wanted to run, but she stayed there and watched as he got closer before finally stopping just a few feet away; she was vaguely aware of their friends looking at her in shock and disbelief, she only had eyes for him.

"Hello Tommy," she greeted him nervously.

"Kimberly," her heart lightened when her name fell from his lips in a breathy whisper.

"How are you?" Kim asked as her eyes traced his form before meeting his eyes.

"What are you doing here Beautiful?" Tommy asked, not even wincing when his nickname for her slipped from his lips; seeing her again brought every ounce of love he felt for her to the forefront.

"I wanted to come home," Kim whispered as she ducked her head, joy dancing through her when she heard her nickname. "But I wasn't sure if I still have a home to come back to…do I?"

There was a double meaning in her words and she wondered if he would pick up on it. She needn't have worried as he still knew her better than anyone else.

Tommy looked at Kim, or rather at the top of her head; everything in him was aching to pull her close. He could feel the sadness coming off of her and it didn't sit well with him as he could never stand to see her unhappy; it was one of the reasons he hadn't gone after her. At her words, he paused; there was something about the way she said it that tugged at his memory.

_Flashback_

_The friends were tired as they had just fought a battle, but Tommy couldn't help but to feel wired. He looked over at his girlfriend and smile._

_As if she could sense it, she looked over at him. "What's wrong?"_

"_Nothing," Tommy shook his head. "Walk with me?"_

"_Always," Kim smiled and she got up from the ground and walked over to him. When he stood up, they turned to their friends. "We'll be back guys."_

"_Have fun," Aisha teased._

"_Whatever," Tommy laughed and he held Kim's hand as they walked away from their friends. They walked in silence for a while, each enjoying the other's company._

"_So what's up?" Kim smiled up at him. _

"_Nothing," Tommy smiled, "I just wanted some time alone with you. We got interrupted earlier."_

"_Oh," Kim smiled, "Ok." Sometimes he would say the sweetest things to her. _

"_Kim," Tommy stopped walking and turned to her; his face and eyes were serious. He felt his heart pounding slightly, and couldn't help the mental chuckle of irony; he could fight monsters on a daily basis with easy confidence, but when it came to his girlfriend, all that confidence went out the window. _

"_Is everything ok Tommy?" Kim asked when she noted the seriousness in her boyfriend's body._

"_You know everything there is to know about me, you know that?" Tommy told her as he reached up to cup her cheek. "Kim, the way I feel about you, I've never felt this way about anyone else. You mean so much to me Beautiful."_

"_It's the same with me too Tommy," Kim pressed a kiss to his hand. "And sometimes it scares me to think of just how much you mean to me. I don't want to scare you by saying this, but, you have my heart Tommy, and you always will. Home is the heart is Handsome and since my heart is with you, so is my home."_

"_You have my heart as well Kim," Tommy smiled, "When I'm with you, I feel like I can do anything, like I can be anything. Just being with you makes me want to be better. You will always have a home with me Kim, because you will always have my heart."_

_End flashback_

He understood very well what she was asking; she was wondering if his heart was still hers. She had no idea. Smiling, he reached out to tip her chin up so that he was looking into her eyes.

"You always have a home to come back to Beautiful," Tommy said softly. "You always have and you always will."

"Really?" Kim couldn't help the huge smile that lit up her face and her eyes.

"Yes," Tommy nodded.

"Thank you," Kim said before she flew into him; her arms went around his neck and she let out a sob when she felt his settle around her waist and tighten.

Tommy closed his eyes as he enjoyed the feeling of having Kim in his arms once more. "Welcome home Kim," he whispered into her hair. He was never letting her go again. She was right where she belonged.

* * *

_Well I'm going home, back to the place where I belong,  
and where your love has always been enough for me.  
I'm not running from, no, I think you got me all wrong.  
I don't regret this life I chose for me.  
But these places and these faces are getting old, so I'm going home._

* * *

**A/N 3: **so, what did you guys think about this one?


	4. Meant To Be

**Title: **A Love Story  
**Author: **Mykkila09  
**Chapter:** 4 of 4  
**Chapter Title: **Meant To Be  
**Setting: **ZEO era; after the letter but before Jason joins the team as the Gold ranger.  
**Story Summary: **Both Kim and Tommy get advice from a friend, who help them realize that they should stop living life to make others happy and should start living it to make themselves happy. It's basically one of the ways I thought the show could've gone after that abominable and totally out of character letter.  
**Chapter Word Count: **5139

**A/N: **ok, here it is…the final chapter; it's also slightly longer than the last three. Hope everyone enjoys it.

**A/N 2: **this chapter is based on two songs: some of the conversation between Tommy and Kim is based on _Far Away _by _**Nickelback **_(totally awesome song), while the ending chorus is taken from _Love Story _by _**Taylor Swift**__._ It also has everyone in it.

**Disclaimer: **Power Rangers and all its affiliates belong to Haim Saban. I am not making any money from this fic.

**Original Posting Date: **Sunday 27th Feb. '11.

* * *

_***Sometimes being far away is the only way to get closer***_

* * *

Tommy and Kim stayed locked in each other's embrace for a few more minutes before pulling away slowly.

"I'm so glad I came home," Kim smiled at him even as tears continued falling.

"Me too," Tommy smiled before he reached up a thumb to brush her tears away. "Please don't cry Beautiful."

"I never thought I'd hear that name from you ever again," Kim looked down briefly before looking back up. She was going to say something else, but was stopped by the arrival of the others.

"What the hell is going on?" Tanya demanded as she reached them. "Who is this Tommy?"

"Kimberly," Rocky pulled Kim out of Tommy's arms and into his own, tightening them around her in a hug. "I missed you little crane…welcome home."

"I missed you too Rocky," Kim, a little surprised at first, hugged him back just as tight. "More than I thought I would."

The two pulled back from their hug to look at the others. Kim noticed that Billy and Adam looked a little hesitant, but they seemed to get over it because in the next second, she was hugged by both of them.

"Welcome home," Billy whispered in her ear as he pressed a kiss to her hair.

"It's good to have you back," Adam said before he stepped back from the hug.

"Kim," Tommy gestured to Tanya who was staring at Kim with her arms crossed. "This is Tanya; she replaced Aisha as the yellow ranger. Tanya, this is Kimberly Hart, she was the first pink ranger."

"Nice to meet you," Tanya said politely as she held out her hand for Kim to shake; she was excited at meeting another original, especially Kimberly as she had heard how she was a really good person, but she felt torn as Kat was her best friend and this was the girl that everyone said Tommy was head over heels for. And from the looks of things, she was the reason Tommy had broken things off with Kat.

"Kim," Billy looked at his friend. "What are you doing here? I thought you were training in Florida?"

"I was," Kim said as she looked at them before looking at Tommy. "But I'd rather talk to Tommy first."

"Alright," Tommy nodded. "We can talk outside."

"Okay," Kim smiled at him and smiled at the others before allowing Tommy to lead her out.

Just minutes after they left, Kat walked over to them.

"Hey guys," she said. "Was that Tommy I saw leaving just now?"

"Yeah," Tanya nodded. "It was him."

"Oh," Kat looked to the door. "Who's that with him?"

"Kimberly," Rocky answered with a smile.

"What?" Kat turned to look at him in shock. "She's here? I thought she was supposed to be in Florida?"

"We all did," Adam answered. "But I guess something happened to change that."

"And we won't know what that something is until we speak with her," Billy added.

"Oh," Kat looked to the doorway again.

Tanya looked at her best friend, sensing the dejected tone to her voice; she had spoken with Kat over the break-up and knew that while the blonde understood, there was still a part of her that hoped Tommy would change his mind and realized he could move on from Kim and he could do it with her. She herself had thought the same thing, but now that Kimberly was back in town, she knew that that was never going to happen.

~…~

"So," Tommy said as he and Kim walked away from the gym. "What's up? Why are you here, not that I don't want you to be, I'm just surprised that you are."

"I don't know where to start," Kim sighed and crossed her arms.

"I don't know about you," Tommy grabbed one of her hands in his to lace their fingers together. "But I've heard that the beginning is always a great place." The two chuckled before Tommy squeezed Kim's hand. "Talk to me Kim."

"When I got the offer to go to Florida," Kim started, "I was torn; while a part of me wanted to stay in Angel Grove with the rangers and with you, the other part wanted to go as it had always been a childhood dream of mine to know if I was good enough to make it to the Olympics and if I was, then to go. So, after much debating, I decided to go to Florida; at first, things were good. I was training to be an elite gymnast and I had the backing and support of my friends, my mother and best of all, I had your support." She stopped to smile at him before she continued. "The first few months were ok. I missed you guys a lot, but it didn't bother me because I knew I'd be coming home for Christmas. Spending time with you guys made me miss you guys even more and it made me appreciate you a lot more to know that I was clear across the country, but you were still as in love with me as I was with you and that you were patient enough to wait for me. I felt so loved that Christmas."

Tommy said nothing as he listened to Kim as she poured her heart out; he wanted to interrupt her, but he didn't as he knew she needed to say what she had to say. So he waited.

"I was in such high spirits to know that you guys had so much faith in me," Kim continued, "And I carried that with me back to Florida; and then, thing started to change. My mother became more controlling when it came to my gymnastics, her and the coach. They wanted me to spend less time talking to you guys and more time perfecting my moves. Soon enough, I started to lose my drive and my passion for the sport. My mom kept pressuring me and before I knew it, I let her talk me into making one of the biggest mistakes of my life."

"Kim," Tommy looked at her with wide eyes. "What are you saying?"

"Tommy," Kim looked at him as she spoke. "I never meant to write that letter; I never wanted to break up with you. It was all my mom's fault; she pressured me into writing it. She told me that it was for the best, that I needed to let you go to and to concentrate on my future. Silly me believed her; I listened to her and I lost the one person that meant the most to me."

"So," Tommy's heart pounded as elation spread through him. "There was no other guy?"

"No," Kim shook her head. "There never was and there never will be; you're it for me Tommy."

"Beautiful," Tommy smiled and it was so full of love and so bright, that Kim felt her breath catch in her throat. "You have no idea how happy I am to hear that."

"I think I do," Kim whispered. "I am so sorry Tommy; I'm sorry I listened to her and I'm sorry I hurt you."

"It's ok," Tommy reassured her. "I spoke with Rocky and he made me realize something; the past few months were just as much my fault as they were yours. Yeah, you wrote the letter, but I chose to believe it; I chose not to come after you even though my heart was screaming at me to do just that. Rocky was right when he said that I gave up before I even fought and I'll never forget that."

"So what do we do now?" Kim asked. "Where do we go from here?"

"I know what I want," Tommy told her, "the question is, what is it that you want? I still love you Kim, and I want us to try again…I want us to have a second chance."

"So do I," Kim smiled, "I still love you and I want those same things as well. I'm tired of being far away from you Tommy. I don't want to leave you anymore, I want to stay here. Being in Florida these last few months was hell, especially after I sent the letter. A close friend helped me to realize that I was living my life to make my mom and the coach happy, but not me."

"What about gymnastics?" Tommy asked; he had to make sure this was what she really wanted and that there would be nothing to pull her back, because he had no intention of ever letting her go again.

"Like I said," Kim shook her head, "I slowly lost my drive and my passion for it; doing gymnastics stopped being something I loved and being fun, to something I did to make mom and coach happy. My heart just wasn't in it anymore and what kind of gymnast would I be at Olympics if I no longer held any love in performing the sport?"

"So?" Tommy couldn't stop the grin; he knew what she was saying, but he wanted to hear her say it.

"So," Kim smiled coyly. "I'm here to stay. I want to be with you again. You still have my heart Tommy and that's something that will never change."

"God I love you," Tommy's words were spoken vehemently as he pulled Kim into his arms and claimed her mouth in a kiss that was passionate and gentle at the same time. It lasted for a few minutes before he pulled back to rest his forehead against hers. "You've been far away for far too long Beautiful."

"I think that after everything that has happened, I needed to hear you say that," Kim confessed. "I'm not leaving you anymore Tommy. I'm right where I want to be."

"I believe it," Tommy smiled.

"Forgive me for being away?" Kim asked.

"I'll always forgive you Kim," Tommy assured her. "When you left, I used to dream all the time that you'd be back with me and I told myself I'd never let you go."

"You won't have to," Kim smiled. "I love you Handsome." She was about to kiss him again, but she stopped.

"What is it?" Tommy asked when he saw the expression on her face.

"What about Kat?" Kim asked.

"Kat and I are over," Tommy smiled, "I broke things off two days ago. I realized I wasn't over you and I couldn't continue being with her when I knew I'd never feel for her the way she wants me to. You have my heart Kim, and you'll always have it. Kat was never going to, so I had to break things off."

"Oh," Kim smiled brightly. "Two days ago huh? That's funny; I got here two days ago."

"You've been in town the past two days?" Tommy looked at her in disbelief. "Where have you been staying?"

"Hotel," Kim admitted sheepishly. "I didn't want anyone to know I was here before I was ready, so I stayed in the hotel room."

"I'm sure my parents won't mind if you stay with us," Tommy said after a few minutes, "they've always liked you."

"Do you really think they'll be ok with having their son's girlfriend stay in the same house as him?" Kim asked. "And where would I sleep?"

"You can sleep in my room," Tommy said, "it's not like they don't know what we may or may not do. They had caught us before."

Kim blushed as she remembered the time during Christmas, when Melissa and James Oliver had walked in on her and Tommy as they were having sex; it was one of, if not, the most embarrassing moments in her life.

"If you're sure," Kim murmured.

"I am," Tommy nodded emphatically.

"Ok," Kim smiled up at him. "What about the others? What are we going to tell them?"

"The truth," Tommy answered.

"Is there a reason Billy and Adam aren't happy to see me?" Kim asked as she and Tommy turned to walk back to the youth center. "They were a little hesitant to hug me; Rocky seemed to be the only one, other than you, to be really happy to see me."

"Well," Tommy's brows furrowed as he thought on his friends. "Rocky really wants us back together and with you back in town, he's happy because he knows what it means. As for Adam and Billy, I think Adam's maybe choosing Kat's side because Kat is Tanya's best friend and Adam likes Tanya. I don't even think he realizes that that's what he's doing."

"And Billy?" Kim asked. "What's his excuse?"

"You know," Tommy shrugged, "I'm not really sure. You'd have to ask him."

"I was afraid you'd say that," Kim looked away before looking back at him.

"Hey," Tommy looked down at her. "What happened to the girl who wasn't afraid to speak her mind, especially if she's not in the wrong?"

"Her mother and her coach happened to her," Kim shrugged. "They basically ripped my self-confidence to shreds, especially my mother. I spent so much time listening to them, that I guess I forgot how to truly stand up for myself."

"I'm beginning to really hate the coach and your mom," Tommy frowned. "I can't believe they did that to you."

"It's fine," Kim smiled, "I gained back some confidence when I stood up to my mom and told her I quit and that I was going home. It felt real good."

"Yeah?" Tommy grinned; his little firebird shined through. "Think you have some of that confidence left over to go talk to the others?"

"I have you back," Kim grinned, "as long as I know you're there with me, I can have the confidence to do anything."

"Good," Tommy smiled, "let's go then."

The two smiled at each other once more before turning around to head back to the youth center.

~…~

Kat kept looking to the doorway every few minutes; Kimberly's appearance had thrown her for a loop. She had thought that if she gave Tommy a few days, he would see that he _could_ move on from Kim and learn to love someone else…her. But now, with Kimberly back in town, she knew that was never gonna happen, her only hope was that Tommy wouldn't forgive her for what she did, but even as she thought that, she knew he would; Tommy was the type of guy that forgave easily, it was one of the reasons she had fallen for him.

"Are you going to be ok?" Tanya asked Kat when she saw the way her friend kept looking at the door.

"I'm not sure," Kat answered, drawing the attention of the three boys. "I don't really know what to think right now."

"Well I for one am glad Kim is home," Rocky smiled, "I really missed her."

"But what about the letter?" Adam's brows furrowed. "I mean, we all heard what it said."

"So?" Rocky looked at him. "I really don't care as I never believed the letter in the first place."

"You didn't?" Billy was surprised.

"No," Rocky scowled at the blond. "And I can't believe you did. Out of all of us here, you knew Kim the longest and it never occurred to you how totally out of character that letter was for Kim?"

"Well," Billy started, a slight grimace on his face at the chastising tone in his friend's words.

"Come on," Rocky cut him off. "You've been there to see how Kim and Tommy got started, we came after, but even then, I still saw the connection between the two of them and just how much they meant to each other. You know Kim, do you really think if she was breaking up with Tommy she would've told him in a letter and then sent it to such a public place as the youth center, of all places, where anyone could read it? No, she wouldn't have."

Billy looked away in shame, as did Adam, as he knew that Rocky was right; they had known Kim long enough to know she wasn't the type of person to do something like that.

"I mean," Rocky frowned, "Geez Billy, if there was anyone who should've never believed that letter, it should've been you."

"Isn't that a bit harsh Rocky?" Kat frowned at him.

"No," Rocky didn't even look at her; a part of him was angry at the blonde because he knew how she felt about Tommy. Since before Kim had left for Florida, he had picked up on her feelings for Tommy, and he wasn't the only one; Aisha, and Kim, had picked up on it as well. Which was why, when Aisha had switched places with Tanya, she had told him to keep an eye on the blonde to make sure she didn't make a move on Kim's territory.

He and Kat could never really get along because he always felt as if she never really made the effort to get to know him. All she saw ever him as, was the jokester, the guy that was never serious, and add to the fact that she seemed to always be about Tommy…

"He's right Kat," Billy sighed. "I should've known better than to believe the letter."

"So why didn't you?" Rocky asked.

"I'd like to hear the answer to that myself," Kim said as she and Tommy joined them. She had heard Rocky defend her, even without knowing the real reason for the letter, and it had warmed her heart more than anything to know that he believed in her. At the same time, it hurt to know that Billy, her childhood friend, had cut all ties with her instead of talking to her about her and Tommy's breakup and that he believed the letter.

"Kimberly," Billy turned to her, as did everyone else.

"Just tell me why Billy," Kim looked at him, before looking at Adam. "Tell me why the two of you believed that letter and why the two of you cut all ties with me. Tommy I could understand as I knew that that's what he would've done the moment I sent it; from the sound of things, Rocky never believed in the first place, so tell me, why did my childhood friend and a friend I'd gotten really close to, believed the letter and decided to stop being my friend just because of it."

The group was silent as they waited on the answer from the two boys. Kim avoided looking at Kat as she knew the exact reason why the blonde would believe the letter without talking to her and why the blonde had decided to stop talking to her as well, and as for Tanya, well, she reasoned that she didn't know her, so she'd save her judgment for later.

"I guess," Adam went first, "I guess the reason why I stopped being your friend after the break-up was because I was so blindsided by it. I didn't see how you and Tommy started, but I got here to see the two of already together and becoming stronger each day. You guys had—have—such a strong connection between you two that I was in awe. Seeing it made me hope to have someday what you did.

"When the letter came, it kinda felt like everything was falling apart; I mean, if you and Tommy, the most perfect, strongest, purest and truest relationship I had ever witnessed, could fall apart, then what about the rest of us. I didn't want to believe the letter, so I figured if I stopped talking to you, then it wouldn't be true. Crazy, I know, but it's true; add in to the fact that I…" he paused, glanced at Tanya and flushed slightly before continuing. "I like Tanya and since Tanya was—is—Kat's best friend, I guess I wanted to stay in her good graces, so I kept myself from calling you and apologizing. But I'm saying it now, I am so sorry for ending all ties with you; you became one of my best and closest friends and I let you down."

Kim looked at Adam, they all did, especially Tanya; no one said anything as they let his words sink in. Never did they thought that that would be his reason.

Kim for her part could understand where he was coming from and she knew that while she wouldn't have stopped talking to her friends, she would've felt similar to how he had felt. So she let him know.

"Believe it or not," She sighed, "I understand and I forgive you."

Adam smiled and got up from his seat to walk over to Kim, pulling her into a hug. "Thank you."

"Even princes make mistakes," Kim smiled and kissed him on his cheek. "But I'm glad to have my prince back."

Adam laughed, as did Rocky and Tommy, at the reference to his ninjetti animal; ever since they had gone to Phaedos, Kim always called him her "prince".

"I really am glad our crane is flying with us again," Adam pressed a kiss to Kim's cheek before letting go and moving back to his seat.

Kim smiled before she turned to Billy. "So? Are you going to tell me?"

"I'd have to say," Billy started with a sigh, "that my reasons, or part of them, are similar to Adam's reasoning. I felt the same way as well."

"And what's the other part?" Tanya asked; she was just as curious as to why Billy would stop talking to Kim. She knew she was ok as she had never met Kimberly; all she knew was what the others had told her and from the way they talked about her, Tanya knew that she was a really good person, and she also knew that probably the only reason she disliked Kim, was because Kat was her best friend and she didn't want to see her hurt. It was wrong, she knew, to judge Kim before even meeting her, but she had done it…and she was sorry.

Just seeing Tommy's reaction when he had seen Kimberly and seeing the two of them together, she had seen the connection; one she hadn't even realized was missing between Tommy and Kat. She knew she was rude earlier, both to Tommy and Kim—Tommy when he had broken up with Kat and Kimberly when she had introduced herself—but she was willing to apologize and get to know Kim as a friend.

"The other reason is simple," Billy explained, "I didn't keep in contact with you after the letter, because I felt as if Tommy needed me. I truly did want to keep talking to you, but I guess I thought that since Tommy was the one to get dumped, he would need my support more than you would. I was wrong, and I never should've chosen sides and I'm sorry. Forgive me?"

Kim didn't hesitate; Billy _was _her childhood friend and while it had hurt that he had stopped talking to her, she understood his reasons. And besides, she was never able to stay mad at him for long; it's been that way since they were kids. "Always Billy."

"Thank you," Billy said as he stood to hug Kim. He squeezed her before letting go.

"So," Rocky looked at Kim. "What's the real reason for the letter?"

Kim sighed before she launched into the tale she had told Tommy; by the time she was finished, the others felt even worse, Kat especially, about how they had reacted.

"I'm sorry!" Kat blurted out, making everyone look at her. "You gave me everything Kim; you became my first friend in Angel Grove, you gave me a place in your group and you trusted me with your powers and the others and I repaid you by dating Tommy. I knew he was yours, I think a part of me always knew that, but I didn't want to see it. When you left, I admit I saw it as my chance to get closer to him and then when the letter came, while a part of me was hurting for both of you, another part was glad as I thought I would finally have my chance with him."

Kim stayed quiet as she listened to the blonde talk; she knew she should be angry, but she couldn't. She couldn't really blame Kat for falling for Tommy, although, she did have an idea about that.

"I truly am sorry," Kat continued; hearing the others speak just now had broken something in her and she finally realized what she knew all along. Kim and Tommy belonged together and that she owed everything to the petite brunette.

"It's ok Kat," Kim smiled at her. "I can understand why you'd fall for Tommy and to be honest, I knew before I left for Florida that you felt something for him. Did you ever think that, maybe, your feelings for him aren't really yours?"

"What do you mean?" Kat was puzzled as were the others.

"Well," Kim said as she sat in the chair next to Rocky. "When you came to us, you were already under Rita's spell. We all know that Rita was really angry that she had lost Tommy as her green ranger and I think she was slightly jealous of the relationship between me and Tommy. So, maybe it's possible that when Rita placed the spell on you, she transferred some of her own feelings into you as well."

"What?" Tanya looked at the group as the friends looked at each other.

"I never thought of it like that," Adam said.

"It does have a certain possibility to it," Billy murmured.

"So you think my feelings for Tommy aren't real?" Kat asked.

"No, that's not what I'm saying," Kim shook her head. "I think that that's what happened at first, but then, when the spell was broken, there was some residual magic left over, but as time went on and you got to know Tommy, I think you actually started falling for him. But I believe that only happened because you were under the spell, which kinda served as your spring board, so to speak."

Everyone was quiet as they thought on what Kim said.

"I never looked at it that way," Kat looked down; to think, all her feelings for Tommy was because of the spell from Rita.

"Kat," Kim reached out to grab the blonde's hands in hers. "I didn't say it to hurt you or anything, nor did I say it to undermine you're feelings for Tommy. I do believe that you had truly fallen for Tommy, and I had already decided that if I came back here and he was truly happy with you—happier than he has ever been with me—then I would've backed off, no matter how much I still loved him."

"Thanks Kim," Kat smiled. "I've had a few days to think things over since Tommy and I broke up and I guess while a part of me hoped we'd get back together, deep down, I knew we wouldn't because I knew he always belonged to you."

"So," Kim smiled at her, "do you think we can retry this friendship thing?"

"You'd still want to be my friend after everything?" Kat was shocked.

"Yes," Kim smiled. "Everyone deserves a second chance."

"Ok," Kat nodded. "I'd like that. Welcome home Kim."

"Thanks," Kim smiled. "It's good to be home."

Everyone smiled at each other, happy that they had managed to get through this hurdle together.

~..~

Later, after the friends had spent time with each other catching up, and visiting Zordon, they had ended up back at Ernie's.

"So what now?" Kim asked as she looked around; it had been a very good day, better than she expected.

"Now," Tommy stood up from his seat, pulling Kim with him. "We go talk to my parents; I don't want you staying at the hotel."

"Alright," Kim smiled before looking at her friends. "We'll see you guys later."

"Definitely," Kat smiled, looking forward to spending time with her predecessor and friend.

"Count on it Kim," Rocky grinned. "We have lots to do."

"I know," Kim giggled and Rocky's smile grew, along with Adam, Billy and Tommy; they had missed hearing that.

"It was nice meeting you Kim," Tanya smiled at the brunette.

"Same here," Kim smiled before she turned to Tommy. "Let's go Handsome."

"See ya guys," Tommy waved before grabbing Kim's hand in his, leading her to the door.

As they left, Kat watched them with a sad smile.

"You ok?" Tanya asked, seeing the look on her face.

"I will be," Kat turned to her. "Tommy may have been the first guy I fell in love with, but he's not my guy—he never was—he was always Kim's. Seeing them together, I know that that's where they belong, and you know something?"

"What?" Adam asked as he had heard the blonde, as did the others.

"I think being far away from each other helped them," Kat smiled. "I think it helped us."

"How so?" Billy asked.

"Tommy and Kim learned to appreciate each other a lot more," Kat explained, "and Kim and I have never been closer. I guess it is true what they say, distance does make the heart grow fonder."

She turned back to the door, just in time to see Tommy leaning down to kiss Kim and the pure love on both faces as they pulled back to smile at each other.

"They were far apart," Kat murmured, "and the distance made them even closer."

"They're it, aren't they?" Tanya asked with a smile.

"Yeah," Rocky nodded. "They're the real deal."

~…~

"We're gonna make it, aren't we Tiger?" Kim asked as she got in Tommy's jeep.

"Yes," Tommy looked over at her. "We will."

"I've dreamed of finding someone for me for so long," Kim smiled. "Someone that was my own…that would protect me…that would love me. I never believed it would happen…until I met you, and then with everything that happened in Florida, I lost the belief." She looked at him. "But I found it again."

"Like I told you Beautiful," Tommy reached out to grab her hand. "Believe it…believe me, hold on to me and the fact that I love you and that we are meant to be…hold on to that because I'm never letting you go…never again."

"Good," Kim grinned before leaning over to kiss him. "Because I'm not letting you go either."

~…~

High up in the mountains, Zordon smiled as he watched the scene on the viewing globe; his falcon and crane—the Lord and Lady of the Skies—were flying together once more, just like they were destined to…just like he always knew. His pink princess had found her prince.

* * *

_You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess,  
It's a love story, baby, just say yes_

* * *

**A/N 3: **so, that's it. We have reached the end of the story. I hope you guys liked this chapter and that everyone's part was ok. Thanks to everyone that has read, reviewed, placed this story on alert and in their favorites...you guys are awesome. Since you're at this point, only left to do is review...

Ta ta for now...

Kila


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